Watch-out, manhole cover thieves are about
Residents are being asked to help combat a spate of manhole cover thefts that have been happening all over Surrey and several already in Teddington, most notably in Harrowdene Gardens last Friday.
If you see anyone tampering or acting suspiciously around these covers (even if they look legitimate with hi-vis vests on) then please call 999 so the police can check the workers authenticity. If vehicles are nearby, these will probably not have any company identification on them.
Recent thefts have taken place during the day but these may occur in less busy times – if emergency work is undertaken overnight by official workers then the area will be lit up for health and safety reasons – this may be one give away that the removal may not be legitimate.
Missing manhole cover in Little Queens Road
The theft of metal items such as these manhole covers and copper cables are an increasingly popular crime due to rising metal prices (in particular 300% for copper) – these are sold to unscrupulous scrap dealers who ship the metal abroad.
As taxpayers, we all end up paying for the replacements and the open holes left by the removal causes serious danger to the public and motorists alike.
